Fastest Times in History

Tobermory Trail Race Weekend continued its tradition of hosting a community-led and strongly-supported event in Tobermory with the proceeds again being forwarded to the Primary Place Child Care Centre.  The event is put on by Peninsula Adventure Sports Association (PASA) which is a local non-profit promoting outdoor sport on the Bruce Peninsula, along with the help of a local committee.

2018 organizing committee – absent Monique, Sarah and Sheila!

Friday’s wind gusts created some challenges for the organizers, however with the help of committee members Ashley Salen, Sara Gowland, Tien Angus, Monique Wall, Terry Heffernan, Leigh Grigg, Tara Harpur, Sarah Peacock and Sheila Buckingham, along with extra assistance from race volunteers and key sponsors, everything was set up in time for the weekend.

The poor weather on Friday undoubtedly frightened away a number of racers entirely, resulting in 35 racers and 5 relay teams not attending the weekend.  However the event added 20 spots to last year’s capacity thanks to its close partnership with Parks Canada and a continued commitment to safety planning. Keeping the event environmentally sustainable is at the forefront of planning and the event this year ceased use of plastic cups.

Despite the gusty evening, a group of outdoor enthusiasts cozied up in the Community Centre for the guest speaker Shannon Miller listening to her fascinating talk on Adventure Racing.

Saturday morning saw the marathoners and relay teams start with PASA directors Tara Harpur and Leigh Grigg at 7am, subsequently producing a mad dash through downtown Tobermory.  The half marathoners were then brought to Cyprus Lake campground for their start at 8am.  From that point onward, as racer Jay Myatt succinctly put it, it’s “run time now.”

Jay was certainly correct. This year was by far the fastest race weekend yet, with 14 course records being broken by the winners, including all the big ones: overall Trail Marathon, overall Trail Half Marathon, Trail Marathon Relay and overall Flowerpot 5K.

Despite some downed trees and the occasional (temporarily) lost racer, race weekend was relatively incident-free and plenty of smiles were found at the finish line street party.  After two years of fun activities along the pedestrian-only Bay St. the community knows now to bring along their kids to check out the exhibits.  Cheering on the finishers as they cross the line is always the most popular activity but this year there were inflatable Zoo Guts to compliment the bouncy castle and face-painting.  Saturday evening there were a lot of familiar faces at the Tobermory Brewing Company for dining, and at the Painted Turtles Silent Auction event at the Parks Visitors Centre.  There were racers literally everywhere you looked in town Saturday evening, even some who were due to be ready at 6am the following morning for the sailing to the Flowerpot Island 5 km run.

All finishing times in all divisions can be found on the website www.tobermorytrail.com and then by clicking on “results”.  An achievement that stuck out was Owen Sound’s Brian Dubeau and David White winning their third set of relay paddles after taking the relay division for the 3rd straight year. What made it unique this year though was that they finally beat the 4hour mark (finishing in 3 hours 53minutes and 53 seconds) although a minute later the men’s trail marathon solo winner Zack Reimer from St. Catherines also achieved the same feat, posting a 3 hour 54 minute and 35 second result.

Brian Dubeau and David White on top of the Relay podium (again!)

Sunday’s 3rd annual Flowerpot Island 5K had fewer no shows than it’s counterpart marathon, so the new glass-bottom tour boat Blue Heron 8 had a lively atmosphere on its sunrise trip to the island.  Race director Tien Angus started everyone at 7:05am and finishers came into the Flowerpot lightstation not long after, the fastest of whom was Jake Harpur of South Bruce Peninsula, at 24 minutes and 1 second; a three-peat victory for Jake.  Lola Bater, a track and XC star from Kitchener, posted a 28min 59sec result to claim the women’s title this year.

The Friends of Bruce District Parks provided an incredible breakfast after the run, complete with hors d’oeuvres of every popular breakfast treat from waffles to quiches.  The awards were handed out at the Blue Heron dock with each racer receiving a medal and a Tobermory stainless steel water bottle.

In total, 230 racers and approximately 75 volunteers took part in the weekend, each of whom received a treat from the Sweet Shop, a hearty meal (Leeside’s brown bag lunch for volunteers) and a commemorative t-shirt.  Keeping proceeds local and providing a great race experience is what PASA does in close consultation with Parks Canada, and the event couldn’t have taken place without the generous support of Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five Marine Park.

The organizers would also like to thank the Peninsula Bruce Trail Club, the Friends of Bruce District Parks, Leeside’s Restaurant, the Blue Heron and all the other partners and landowners who donated cash or prizes or simply time and effort to help make the 3rd annual TTRW a success.

2018 public on-sale coming soon

2018 will mark the 3rd edition of the challenging & uber-scenic Tobermory Trail Race Weekend.  Saturday September 21 will be the Trail Marathon, Relay and Half Marathon and Sunday September 23 will be the Flowerpot Island 5K.

The public will get access to both these dates on Sunday January 21st at 10am at http://www.tobermorytrail.com

Please note:  Although the event sells out quickly, it’s important to know and research its level of difficulty BEFORE SIGNING UP.  These racecourses take place on VERY CHALLENGING TERRAIN, as described here.  Please be honest with yourself, and with your capabilities, and sign up for the distance you believe you can complete in the allotted time.  Cutoffs for 2018 have not been announced but will be similar to 2017 cutoffs.

2017 Cutoffs (2018 will be very similar)

• Marathon & Relay (7am start) must reach the 1⁄2 point by 11:00am.
• Marathon, Relay (7am start) and Half Marathon (7:30am start) must reach the Little Cove CP on their northbound leg of the trip by 2pm.
• Flowerpot Island 5K racers need to be able to complete a 5km trail run with some difficult sections in under 1h.

Previous racers and volunteers, as well as those who signed up to this promotion will receive an advance opportunity for both events from Wednesday January 17th at 5pm until Friday January 18th at 3pm. Everyone eligible for the pre-sale will receive an email invite by noon on Wednesday January 17th and only one registration will be allowed per eligible person.  Sorry, but pre-sale registrations are not transferable during the pre-sale window and must be claimed using the email address on file, and the name of the eligible person.  After the pre-sale window closes, any registration changes are subject to the usual $20 change fee.  Full details on the pre-sale will be here (coming soon) and will be emailed.

NEW THIS YEAR: Trail Marathon Relay teammates may be added or changed until August 25th for no charge.

50% of the total registration capacity will be available during the pre-sale window and 50% of the total registrations (plus whatever is not sold during pre-sale) will be available during the public onsale starting at 10am on Sunday January 21st at 10am.

Thanks to Parks Canada, Blue Heron Company and Leeside’s Restaurant and other partners for their incredible support.

Event Website: http://www.tobermorytrail.com  Facebook Page

PASA events: http://www.peninsulaadventure.ca  Facebook Page

2017 Event Proceeds: $14,000

The Tobermory Trail Race Committee would like to thank everyone – racers,
volunteers, and sponsors – who helped to make the 2nd annual Tobermory Trail
Race Weekend a smashing success and helped raise money for local causes.

Trail Marathon, Relay & Half photos are here and results are here.

Flowerpot Island 5K photos are here and results are here.

Friday’s Pasta dinner & guest speaker photos are here:

After a delicious pasta dinner, provided by the parents of Primary Place Daycare, 120 racers headed out early Sept 23 to tackle one of the toughest runs in Ontario. The course progressed mostly on the Bruce Trail through Bruce Peninsula National Park between Cyprus Lake and Tobermory.

At 7:00 am, accompanied by Kathryn Hauck on bagpipes, the 28 Marathon and 9 starting Relay racers were escorted to the start line on Bay St.  After cheering them on, the 82 Half Marathon runners loaded onto buses to head to their start line at Cyprus Lake. The rain the previous night combined with the humidity making temperatures reach well over 30 degrees Celcius made for a slippery hot run. Everyone was very careful to run within their abilities & the safety team was called on only a handful of times to coordinate aid for racers.

The finish line festivities began with a repeat of last year when Spencer Summerfield was the first racer across the line, holding onto his Half Marathon Open Male title. Don Graham, Steven Forrest, Bryan Dubeau & David White, and Joan Matthews also retained their respective titles from 2016 – Half Marathon Masters Male winner, Marathon Masters Male winner, Marathon Relay winners and Marathon Open Female winner.

These are amazing accomplishments but the talk of race day was Benjamin Jagdeo, who is just 12 years old and running with his teachers.  He finished the Half Marathon in 3:49:22, apparently high-fiving fellow runners all the way.

The amazing weather continued on Sunday morning when, in the still greyness of
dawn, 73 racers were transported by the Blue Heron Company to Flowerpot
Island to compete in the Flowerpot Island 5km race.  Jake Harpur (aka. Jack Van Dorp) retained his title of Flowerpot 5km winner.  Steven Forrest, Mary Thompson and Lisa Wardell were the other category winners.  Of note Steven and Lisa were just two of a group of racers who competed on both Saturday and Sunday!  The dedication of these athletes is extra impressive.

At the finish line of the Flowerpot Island 5K, the much sought-after Friend’s breakfast did not disappoint.  Have a taste for yourself with this Youtube clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYti-_GJpL4

The purpose of these events is to draw tourism in the off season, fundraise for the Primary Place Daycare & the Friends of Bruce District Parks, and share our amazing trails and natural environment.  The event raised over $10,000 for the daycare this year, plus an additional $4,000 for outdoor sport ventures via PASA.  By this bar, we consider this weekend a huge success and look forward to planning next year’s run.

It’s almost raceday

Weather’s looking warm this weekend.  Keep your fingers crossed for nice conditions for us all.

All the info you need for this weekend, including copies of all 4 newsletters are here:
SATURDAY RACES: tobermorytrail.wordpress.com/marathon/
SUNDAY’S FPI5K:  tobermorytrail.wordpress.com/flowerpot-island-5k

Did you know:

• This race has 7 different landowners, without whose support we couldn’t deliver such an exciting course.
• There will be fun activities for your friends and family to discover at the finish line… right on Bay st in front of Tobermory Brewing Co from 10-3pm Saturday.
• This race is non-profit!  Proceeds benefit Tobermory Primary Place Daycare and local outdoor sport projects via Peninsula Adventure Sports Association.
• You race entry also gets you an advance purchase opportunity for next year’s race…. helpful considering we sold out the FPI5K in 3 hours.
• Your race bib will get you a couple of clutch discounts around town.
• There are 65 volunteers helping out!  This year’s volunteers get access to free first aid training and also get the advance purchase opportunity next year.
• Tobermory is an absolutely incredible place to visit in the fall!  Laid back & super-scenic.

 

What a Weekend!

When “Run The Edge” was first envisioned by the Peninsula Adventure Sport Association (PASA) and the Tobermory Chamber of Commerce Economic Committee no one had any idea just how popular it would be. Sold out for all events in less than 6 weeks, it became clear that there were big expectations of this event. Racers signed up from far and wide, including several racers from outside Canada. And thanks to fabulous weather, amazingly generous sponsors and partners, friendly volunteers and a dedicated organizing team the 1^st Annual Tobermory Trail Race Weekend it was even better than expected.

On Saturday Sept 24^th at 715 am 126 runners walked down Hwy 6 to Bay St to cheer on the 18 Marathon Runners and 12 Marathon Relay teams as they headed down the Bruce Trail toward Cyprus Lake. The remaining half-marathon runners then jumped on buses to be driven to Cyprus Lake Campground in Bruce Peninsula National Park to begin their run north at 8:30 am. All racers took on the tough terrain with grit and determination. Every single runner completed their chosen distance, despite the occasional bumps and bruises and wasp nests.

At 10 am sharp the Finish Line Team closed off Bay St. from the Cenotaph to the LCBO so that the race celebration, which included a lemonade stand, a book sale, face painting and a bouncy castle, could be begin. It was a good thing that they were prompt as the first runner, Spencer Summerfield (London) crossed the finish line just before 10:30 am. The atmosphere at the finish line was just what the Race Committee was hoping for – fun, upbeat and lively. Awards, including 1 of a kind Run The Edge beer tankards by Goose Creek Pottery were presented to the fastest male and female runners in each group. The fastest relay teams were presented with paddles, hand burned with the race logo by the race committee’s own Terry Heffernan. And while they didn’t make the podium, FULL CODE, a local relay team made up of Dr. Jonathon Thomas (Lions Head), Dr. Ali Appelton (Lions Head), RN Rusty Campigotto (Lions Head) and RPN Goldie Bain (Lions Head) won the relay team draw prize of gift certificates to the Tobermory Brewing Company and Grill. And Craig Moore (Cambridge), a half-marathon runner won the overall draw prize package which included accommodation, boat rides and meals courtesy of Dan Welsh and The Blue Heron Company.

The fun continued bright and early the next morning as just before sunrise 72 racers and several volunteers loaded onto one of the Blue Heron zodiacs to head to Flowerpot Island for a sunrise run and breakfast. Huddling for warmth against the early morning chill the racers were treated to peacefully still waters as they charged off towards Flowerpot. There they were met by their safety crew from Parks Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard and just as it got light enough at 6:50 am they took off on the trail for a 5 km loop and a half of the island. The race ended at the Lighthouse Keepers cottage with a delicious breakfast served by the Friends of Bruce District Parks. Again all racers completed the course with Jack Van Dorp (Wiarton) coming in first, just as the race volunteers got the finish line banner tied up. The racers were then treated to a tour by boat around the island and then it was back to the shore for awards and more coffee. It should be noted that 13 of the racers actually competed both days!!

The goal of the race was not only to raise money for its beneficiaries Tobermory Primary Place Daycare and The Friends of Bruce District Park. It is also to share the beauty of the Bruce Trail in this area and encourage outdoor sport on the Bruce Peninsula. It is through events like this that PASA is able to support programs like the gear library currently housed at the Outdoor Education Centre that schools can rent winter outdoor gear from.

The race committee hopes to continue with this great event, which would not have been possible without the dedication of the race committee, the hours and hours of volunteer time given and the generosity of the local community. The race committee, Tobermory Primary Place Daycare and the Friends of Bruce District Parks would like to thank all the volunteers, sponsors, land owners, partners and the Peninsula Bruce Trail Club who made this event possible. The race raised over $6,500.00 for Tobermory Primary Place Daycare and over $1,200.00 for the Friends of Bruce District Parks.

Full Results can be found here.

Thanks everyone!

 

 

Schedule of Events

Run the Edge at Tobermory Trail Race Weekend

TTRW – Not Just for Runners

Photo Credit: Jack Salen

While the main events of the Tobermory Trail Race Weekend (TTRW) – the Full, Half and Relay Trail Marathon on Sept 24th and the 5km Flowerpot Island run on Sept 25th are for runners there will be other events that weekend for those less interested in testing their endurance skills against the Bruce Trail.

The weekend will start off on Friday night with a Pasta Dinner at the Tobermory Community Centre from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. The dinner is being provided by the Ferndale/Lions Head District Lioness Club and is open to the public so come out and join the 150 racers participating in Saturdays runs who get a meal ticket in their race bag. Tickets will be limited so come early! Race registration will also be taking place on Friday night at the Community Centre and there will be a guest speaker. The Tobermory Primary Place will also be hosting a Silent Auction which will open for biding on Friday at 5:00 pm and items will being closing Saturday evening, starting at 6:00 pm.

At 7 am Saturday morning all of the racers participating in the Full, Half and Relay Trail Marathon will gather at the Community Centre for their race briefing and then they will be piped down to the start line at the Tobermory Cenotaph. The Full and Relay categories will take off from Tobermory down the trail at 730 am and the ½ Marathon runners will be bused to Cyprus Lake Campground in Bruce Peninsula National Park and start north on the trail at 830 am. We welcome anyone wanting to cheer racers on to join us at the start line in Town or as the race mostly follows the Bruce Trail those willing to hike can walk out at Cyprus Lake or Little Cove and cheer racers on as they tackle the trail.

The Finish Line for all of Saturday’s races is at the Bruce Trail Cairn on Bay St. This means Bay St will be closed from the Cenotaph to the intersection with Brock St until between 2-3pm on Saturday Sept 24 th . Runners love to finish with a cheering crowd so to draw attention to that area the Library will be putting on a book sale, so if you have any donations they would love to have them. There will also be a bouncy castle, information booths and you can wet your whistle as you are cheering at the Primary Place Lemonade Stand.

Saturday ends with the Awards Ceremony at 4 pm, a Silent Auction, a Fish Fry 5 pm – 8 pm and Dance 8 pm – 1 am at the Community Centre all of which are open to the public. The Snowmobile Club is providing the Fish Dinner. The Silent Auction and Dance are to support the Tobermory Primary Place Daycare. The Daycare will be looking for items for the Silent Auction, if you have a donation please contact Sarah Peacock at 226 668 7707.

On Sunday morning, anyone who wishes to wake up super-early can come to the Blue Heron dock at 5:45am to wish the Flowerpot Island 5K racers well as they board the boat. The race is not open to spectators due to the limited transport options but the racers would love to be greeted at the dock on return to Tobermory around 9 am.

The goal of this weekend is for racers and their families to enjoy a weekend in Tobermory and support outdoor adventures on the Bruce Peninsula. In return for everyone’s generosity that weekend, they will be assisting the Tobermory Primary Place Daycare with their winter program.

Tobermory Trail Marathon is 60% sold out. In one month.

If you’ve been thinking about signing up as a team, you’ll need to “make a few calls” (that’s like texting/messaging/snapchatting some people) :p

Register your RELAY TEAM of 2,3, or 4 right now and reserve a spot for September 24th.

This course is well suited for relay because it’s extremely technical terrain, with a lot of up and down, and you could be quite desperate to tag off after about 10 0r 20km. 🙂

If you haven’t already heard, the Flowerpot 5K run sold out in just over a fortnight!  THANKS TO EVERYONE for your support in raising funds for the Tobermory Day Care!

All the best & we’ll hopefully see you soon on the confirmation list here.